San Juan
A Spanish surname meaning “Saint John,” originally referring to places, churches, or people connected with St. John.
The #7,825 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 72,955 Americans shares it.
Etymology
San Juan is a Spanish surname built from san, meaning “saint,” and Juan, the Spanish form of John. The name literally means “Saint John” and often began as a reference to a town, parish, chapel, or other place dedicated to St. John. It could also be taken on by people who came from such a place or lived near one.
History
Surnames of this type are common throughout the Spanish-speaking world, especially where a local church, settlement, or district was named for a saint. As a surname, San Juan is most often toponymic rather than directly religious. It is found in Spain and across Latin America, and it also appears in the Philippines and other former Spanish colonial regions.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
San Juan is also one of the most common place-names in the Spanish-speaking world, which is one reason the surname arose in multiple independent places.